MTR's Psuedo Curfew Hours

The violence has led the MTR to shorten its hours of service everyday

For the last few days, the MTR has closed its transport network at 8pm.

In text messages it says: "Due to vandalism, some damaged facilities are still under repair. Some stations will remain closed and service hours will end earlier tomorrow [insert date here]. Updated information will be provided tomorrow morning".

Kwun Tong station was badly hit by protesters on the weekend

So every morning we wake up to get a text message from the MTR saying: "The MTR train service is running normally today, however due to serious vandalism, some stations will not be opened for service, damaged facilities and station entrances/exits in other stations need time to repair." The seven stations that continue to be closed are: Mongkok, Kwun Tong, Tseung Kwan O, Hang Hau, Che Kung Temple, Sha Tin Wai, and Shek Mun.

Shutting down the MTR at 8pm is a strange one -- it's the end of the rush hour period, but for many people, they have just started eating dinner or are halfway through.

As a result many restaurants, particularly smaller ones have had to close early so that their staff can get home. Why not 9pm? Or did the restaurant sector not lobby the government hard enough to change the time to at least an hour later?

Closing a major public transport system at 8pm is basically a pseudo curfew. While it's true some stations are severely damaged, like the one in Kwun Tong where the customer service centre was completely burned down into a mass of charred metal, while an entrance to Mongkok station was totally burned down and the glass panels destroyed, the other 87 stations are functioning for the most part, no?

MTR turnstiles have been destroyed by protesters

And if the Hong Kong government wants the economy to recover as quickly as possible, why not let the MTR run just a tad longer?

When people can't go out, they aren't spending money and keeping the local economy going.

But no, this pseudo curfew is a way to prevent protesters from roaming around at night, making the rest of us err on the side of caution and stay home or close to home. It has created unnecessary stress and panic, with people lining up at ATMs and withdrawing loads of cash, as well as hitting supermarkets and stocking up on everything from rice to toilet paper.

Now there are reports that hundreds of restaurants have shuttered in Hong Kong amid the protests, laying off thousands of workers. Those dining establishments that are still open are not keeping freelance staff, while some full-time staff are forced to take unpaid leave.

Many of these restaurants are mom-and-pop shops, while others were on the edge of closing because of high rents and the impact of the protests hastened their demise.

A shop in Wan Chai shutters its doors due to the protests

It's really sad seeing everyone in retail and hospitality suffering so much and it's not their fault at all.

However when you do patronize stores and shops, many staff are friendly in the hopes that you will come back again. It's kind of like the reset button after SARS was declared over in 2003.

And everyone could be helped a bit more if the MTR stayed open just a bit longer.

Even more strange is that we don't know when the MTR will close each day until the next morning. We're kind of held hostage in that we must adjust our lives around this very early closing, day by day.

The one good thing is that buses, trams and taxis are seeing more business after 8pm, while glass manufacturers and contractors are making a killing with repairing windows or fixing up a shop that was previously hit by protesters.

Does this mean we're going to start seeing early bird specials at restaurants, even bars. Or are delivery services seeing an uptick in business?

Hongkongers can adapt quickly, but for how long will they stand the MTR's shorter service hours?